HOUSTON, July 5 -- At the 82nd minute on the Fourth of July, the date Canada had circled since earning the right to co-host this tournament, Azzedine Ounahi collected a short pass from Brahim Diaz inside the penalty area and drove a right-footed finish past Maxime Crepeau that had no answer. The score read 2-0. The crowd at NRG Stadium, which had come in volume and come in noise, understood instantly what it meant. Canada's World Cup on home soil was over.

Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16 on Friday evening, advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and making Canada the first co-host nation eliminated from the tournament. The result was not fully in doubt by the 50th minute, when Ounahi had already opened th...